Official events to be held in celebration of Handover Anniversary

The government will hold several events on and around December 20, in celebration of the 21st anniversary of the establishment of the Macau SAR.
The annual flag-raising ceremony will be held at the Golden Lotus Plaza. Public participation will be allowed, and an invite-only reception will also be held.
Last year, President Xi Jinping visited the SAR from December 18 to 20 to take part in the ceremonies.
Due to this year’s Covid-19 measures, the fireworks display celebrating the 21st anniversary of the establishment of the Macau Special Administrative Region will be cancelled, authorities announced last week.
The move was made to avoid creating large crowds during the fireworks show and to reduce the risk of gathering.
The government is still organizing several other events to celebrate the occasion, however.
A large exhibition of Qing-
dynasty imperial costumes has recently opened at the Macau Museum of Art. 90 sets of imperial Qing attire and accessories from the Palace Museum’s collection will be on display until March 14, 2021.
During the exhibition period, a number of outreach activities will also be held. Visitors who participate in exhibition-related games will also have a chance to win prizes from the Palace Museum.
On December 17, locals can celebrate the memorial event by attending the “Listen to the Voice of the Chinese” Concert. The Macao Chinese Orchestra will work with the choir of China’s Top National Orchestra Chorus to present a Chinese folk music written during the Anti-Japanese War.
The Municipal Affairs Bureau will also display 30,000 pots of chrysanthemum near the Houses-Museums in Taipa until January 3.
Finally, today and tomorrow evening, the Macao Cultural Centre will stage two separate shows by the China National Peking Opera Company, namely “Female Generals of the Yang Family” and “A Right Royal Match.”
The former is a story of feudal revenge set during the Song dynasty, set in a time when military women guarded their homeland after most of the men were killed in combat.
The latter, which is considered the highlight of the pair of shows, plunges the audience into a tale of intrigue and deception amid a territorial power struggle. Inspired by a chapter of “Romance of the Three Kingdoms,” the show depicts the moment Liu Bei, a historical character who rules the ancient city of Jingzhou, crosses the river only to fall into a honey trap. AL